When Rooney joined DC United in July they were five points adrift at the bottom and, furthermore, nobody knew who they were.

In the space of about four months, Rooney has propelled them to seventh place, two points behind Montreal Impact with two games in hand, put his club on the map, and claimed an impressive total of nine goals and six assists after 19 games.

Notably, those goals and assists have been hugely important: last minute tackles followed by impossible assists, free-kick goals, late winners, powerful drives from outside the box, dictatorial performances in midfield.

The strains of English football may have become too much for Rooney, but he is singing like a bird across the pond.